One of David’s household servants

The baby is ill. The king won’t eat. He’s lying on the ground all night, every night. We can’t get him up.

Replying to @palace.servant

Seventh day, the baby died. We were scared to tell him. He saw us whispering and knew.

Replying to @palace.servant

Then he got up, washed, went and worshipped, and ate. We asked him: you fasted while he was alive, and now you eat?

Word came that Absalom had killed all the king’s sons. The king tore his clothes and lay on the ground.

Replying to @palace.servant

Then the king’s sons came in, wailing. We all wept.

Replying to @bathsheba

Congratulations from all of us in the household.

Replying to @nathan.prophet

Nathan’s in with the king right now. Telling him this exact story.

Replying to @nathan.prophet

Nobody talks to the king like that.

The king is pleading with God for the boy. He’s stopped eating. He goes in and spends the night lying on the ground in sackcloth.

The child died today. The seventh day.

Replying to @palace.servant

None of us can bring ourselves to tell the king. While the baby was alive we talked to him and he wouldn’t listen. How do we tell him the child is dead? He might do something to himself.

He saw us whispering to each other, and he knew. He asked, is the child dead? We said yes. He’s dead.

Now the king has got up off the ground. He’s washed, put oil on his skin, changed his clothes, and gone to worship at the LORD’s tent. Now he’s back home and asked for food. They’ve put it in front of him and he’s eating.

Replying to @palace.servant

We had to ask him. While the child was alive you wouldn’t eat and you cried. Now he’s dead, you get up and eat?